BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 14. Italian companies are ready to contribute their technology, engineering expertise, energy-efficient solutions, and other capabilities to construction, reconstruction, and development projects in Azerbaijan, including in the liberated territories, and to implement joint projects with local companies, Italian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Luca Di Gianfrancesco said at the opening ceremony of the Rebuild Karabakh exhibition held as part of Caspian Construction Week, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
He said construction and infrastructure were not only important economic sectors for Azerbaijan but also part of a broader vision of development oriented toward the future. In this regard, the exhibition was particularly significant.
The ambassador emphasized that relations between Italy and Azerbaijan were at a high level. These ties were reaffirmed during two important visits last year and this year. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited Italy in October last year, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Azerbaijan in May this year. Meetings between the leaders were held during both visits.
Di Gianfrancesco noted that Italy had a broad and highly specialized industrial base in the construction sector, and that Italian companies could offer much more than individual products.
According to him, Italian companies represent not only technologies, engineering expertise, specialized equipment, materials, energy-efficient solutions, and architectural and design capabilities, but also a long tradition of craftsmanship and a strong commitment to quality.
“Most importantly, they can combine innovation with design, technology with functionality, and industrial production with creativity,” the ambassador said, emphasizing that this was one of the key features distinguishing Italian industry.
He said that 46 Italian companies were participating in the BakuBuild exhibition this year. Of these, 24 were represented in the official Italian pavilion organized by the Italian Trade Agency. The ambassador invited participants to visit the pavilion on the opening day and throughout the following days of the exhibition.
According to Di Gianfrancesco, the participation of Italian companies in the exhibition demonstrated Italian businesses’ interest in Azerbaijan and their intention to establish long-term partnerships.
“We have not come here simply to sell products; we have come here to work together,” he said.
The ambassador added that, beyond offering various solutions and technologies, Italian companies were capable of building partnerships with Azerbaijani businesses, exchanging expertise, developing joint projects, and adapting their experience to the specific needs of the Azerbaijani market. They could serve as reliable partners at both the design and implementation stages of projects.
He stressed that such cooperation was particularly important in areas including energy efficiency, sustainable construction, smart building technologies, advanced materials, engineering, and specialized equipment.
According to the ambassador, the expertise of Italian companies could also prove valuable in reconstruction and development projects covering large parts of Azerbaijan, including the liberated territories.
Di Gianfrancesco recalled that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had emphasized in his opening remarks earlier that morning the special importance of these territories to the Azerbaijani government and people. He also noted that Italy was contributing to mine clearance efforts in the liberated territories.
The ambassador thanked Azerbaijani institutions, organizers, and partners for their efforts in arranging the event. He also expressed his gratitude to the Italian Trade Agency, its director Cecilia Oliva, and all Italian companies participating in this edition of BakuBuild.
“Their presence here sends a very clear message: Italy is here, Italy is ready to contribute, and Italy is ready to build partnerships for the future,” Di Gianfrancesco said.